Kathmandu: Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah has laid out his government’s early foreign policy positions, emphasising deeper ties with neighbours India and China, but without signalling any significant shift from the approach of his predecessors.Shah, who was sworn in on March 27 following his Rastriya Swatantra Party’s landslide victory in the general elections held on March 5, made his first policy statement this week in a customary briefing to Kathmandu-based ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions.The briefing came as the international community keenly awaited signals on the new government’s priorities. Like previous prime ministers, Shah reiterated Nepal’s commitment to a balanced and pragmatic foreign policy without elaborating what that would mean in practice.The continuity in rhetoric reflects a pattern in Nepali foreign policy, where successive governments have maintained studied ambiguity on how they intend to manage the country’s relationships with its two large neighbours. New Delhi and Beijing are both watching the new government’s orientation closely, and Shah has given little away so far.According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Shah told envoys that his government would deepen ties with all countries based on trust, mutual respect and shared prosperity. He expressed appreciation for the goodwill and support extended by Nepal’s neighbours and development partners.Peace must remain a shared priority of all nations, Shah said, addressing the ongoing conflict in West Asia. He underlined his government’s commitment to the safety, security and well-being of Nepali workers and the diaspora abroad. The ruling RSP has credited diaspora voters with playing a significant role in its election victory, saying workers abroad encouraged their family members back home to vote for the party.Shah’s domestic agenda centred on good governance, economic development and improved livelihoods for the Nepali people. The new government has already taken initial steps in these areas since assuming office, he told the gathering.Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal held separate meetings this week with the ambassadors of India, China and the United States, among others, to outline the government’s priorities. Since assuming office, Khanal has focused heavily on internal reform within the foreign ministry and on addressing problems faced by Nepali migrant workers in West Asia.On April 6, Indian Ambassador to Kathmandu Naveen Srivastava met Khanal. Neither side disclosed the details of the discussions. The following day, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Maoming met Khanal, with the Chinese side focusing on development cooperation between the two countries.One early indicator of the new government’s tilt will be the destination of Shah’s first foreign visit. Nepal has a long-standing practice of prime ministers making their first trip abroad to India, a tradition that carries considerable symbolic weight in bilateral ties. Shah has not yet received an official invitation from New Delhi, leaving the question open for now.In the near term, Khanal’s scheduled visit to Mauritius for the Indian Ocean Conference, organised by the Indian think tank India Foundation, offers an early opportunity for engagement. He is expected to meet External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on the sidelines, which would give both sides a chance to take stock and read each other’s positions before any higher-level engagement is formalised.At home, the new government has moved to reassert the foreign ministry’s role in managing diplomatic interactions. On April 8, the ministry organised a briefing for cabinet ministers on protocol and the etiquette to be observed in dealings with foreign governments, diplomatic missions and officials. The step came amid concerns that foreign ambassadors and officials had been meeting Nepali officials without prior clearance from the foreign ministry, a practice the new administration appears determined to check.The government has also recalled ambassadors appointed by the previous K.P. Sharma Oli-led government on the basis of political quota, and has started preparations for the appointment of new envoys.